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Sunday, 30 October 2016

The Unbreakable Vow {A Short Story}

John
and Janet loved each other so much, they did everything together and for each
other, theirs was a relationship which started from their parents and passed
unto their kids.

They
went everywhere together as kids, attended the same school, went to the same
university, studied the same course, theirs was a love which was made in
heaven, they were an example of star crossed lovers, everyone wanted to have
the kind of love they had.

With
relationships like these, everyone thought they had the perfect lives, they had
the perfect example of what a relationship should be, everyone envied them,
John and Janet were who you would point fingers at and pray to God to give you
the type of their relationship.

They
finished school, served, got nice jobs and was finally ready to settle down,
they were raised in a good Christian home, John had known no other woman except
Janet, and he thought same of Janet; but Janet had a secret she has been hiding
since the first year of their university, she couldn’t tell John about it, she
hid it so well that no one noticed, she told no one, confided in no one and
guarded the secret with her life.

Photo
Credit: Wattpad

As
marriages go in Nigeria, especially if you’re going to wed in a church, you
need to enroll in marriage courses and go for tests, Janet tried so hard to
avoid these tests, she told John there was no need because they had known each
other all their lives, John agreed but the church would have none of it, John
did his and everyone wondered why Janet hadn’t done hers, she knew the outcome
of the result, she had known for years, she had been taking care of it for
years and now the whole world was about to know her secret.

Let’s go
back a few years

The
anticipation of entering into a higher institution is what every teen feels as
soon as they are done with high school, the freedom that comes with it, the
feeling of independence and maturity, no parents or elder sibling to chastise
them, it was a free world and like free things come nothing is ever really
free.

When
Janet and John got into the university, they stayed in different hostels; Janet
is an extrovert and John isn’t, so every night she said bye to John she sneaked
out with the girls from the hostel, they just strolled around the school, gossiped
giggled, and y’all know the excitement that comes with first time freedom.

Freshers
in a university were always easy targets for some men; they deceive and use
them, initiate them and also blackmail and milk them dry. During one of these
harmless strolls at night with the girls, a guy approached them and told them
about a party that was going to take place soon, it was a freshers party he
called it, to welcome new students into the university, the girls were all
excited, their first adult party, they had to go it’s a must they had to.

Janet
told John about it but he refused, told her they didn’t come to the university
for parties and beside they had just started they still had time to party if
the wanted to, he begged her not to attend and she agreed. She told the girls,
they were angry they wanted her to come with them, they had plans, they were
going to meet boys, they couldn’t wait and so they hatched a plan, John didn’t
have to know she would attend and it would be their secret.

Back to the
present

As
Janet sat in her room thinking about that day, she wished she could go back and
force her younger self not to attend that party, she wished and wished but
what’s done is done, she sat crying wailing thinking gnashing her teeth, the
pleasure of one night had ruined her life, the pleasure of one night had dashed
her hope of ever being happy, oh that one night pleasure and John still thought
she was a virgin, they had both promised to keep themselves till they got
married, that was a vow she had broken, a vow that was not supposed to be
broken her quest for the freedom of the world had broken it.

Back to the
past

The
girls giggled, dressed nice, made up their faces, chuckled and practiced dance
steps, the D-day had finally come and they couldn’t contain their excitements
anymore, when they got there the place was lively, filled with new and old
students, booze was everywhere, drugs and condoms were given for free, all
manners of earthly desire was taking place before Janet’s eyes and she was
awed, she had seen these things in a movie and never thought it could be
reenacted in real life, then she felt uncomfortable and wanted to leave, what
would John think of her she asked herself, she looked for her friends but they
were already drawn into the lust of the party, she told them she wanted to
leave but it was late into the night who would walk her back to the hostel?

She
stood alone, angry, angry that she had come to this den of iniquity, angry she
had lied to John, angry she thought she would enjoy this, angry she didn’t
enjoy it, in her state of angriness a young man walked up to her,

Man:
pretty girl, why’re you standing here alone when people are having so much fun
in there?

Janet:
nothing really, I just want to go back to the hostel, I don’t feel good, I am
tired

Man:
tired? What’s your name?

Janet:
Janet Amarachukwu Ibezim, I am a fresher too, she said with pride, studying Math
and Statistics

Man:
very nice, very nice, you mind if I get you something to drink? Juice? Coke? I
can go get them from my table and then walk you back to the hostel.

Janet:
Alright.

And
so this stranger, went back in, came out with a bottle of opened coke and gave
it to Janet, naïve her, innocent her, how could she know, how? the drink was
spiked, he wasn’t a nice man who cared that she stood outside alone, he wasn’t
a nice man who just wanted to walk her back to the hostel, he wasn’t a nice man
who cared about her course, he was a predator who preyed on naïve girls like
her, he was a predator who took advantage of teenagers like her, he was one of
so many who planned events like these to molest and rape young girls and Janet
today was his prey.

They
chatted for a while, while she sipped her coke and then the dizziness came,
then the uncontrollable laughter, she found herself feeling somehow, it didn’t
occur to her she might have been drugged, she begged him to see her off to the
hostel, she was dizzier than she felt minutes ago and needed a place to lay her
head.

And
so they left, walked into the darkness, she put her head on his shoulder while
he guild her by the waist, held her gently, not so long after that, she
slumped, dizzy and everything was hazy, she heard voices, felt pain, couldn’t
lift a finger, she was pulled, hit, her clothes torn and the voices laughed
while they hurt her.

Back to the
present

Well
the gang rape resulted in a pregnancy which she aborted without telling John,
and a few months later she found out she was HIV positive and she still didn’t
tell john, she took her drugs, went for checkups, counseling and just hoped one
day she would tell John and they would go their separate ways and that day has
finally come.

She
called John and asked him to come over, sat him down and started crying, he was
concerned, he ached, he wanted to know what was hurting her so much, he wanted
that pain to be his, he couldn’t watch her to this to herself so he pleaded for
her to tell him, she finally did and stood up couldn’t look at him then she
heard John say, Baby I have known all this time.

I
knew you went to the party, your friends told me, I knew you were raped, I
heard some guys talk about it, you remember the brutal killings of some guys on
campus then? I paid a group in cult to carry it out when I found out what they
did to you, when you went for your HIV test I knew, I saw the drugs, it ached
me so much you didn’t trust me enough to tell me, but I was always there,
waiting and hoping you would one day tell me, trust me with that secret that’s
been weighing you down.

Why
didn’t you trust me he asked? Why Janet? She was speechless, the tears had
stopped flowing, so he knew all this time and said nothing, she was ashamed,
couldn’t look at him, she stammered, stuttered, words failed her, she slumped
and woke up minutes later with John looking over her.

Janet
he said, I love you, I have loved you since we were kids and I will never stop
loving you, I don’t care what anyone says when they find out about your test
results, we can have children if you want biologically and we can also adopt, I
stood by you even after I found out these things, I killed for you and would do
it all over again without thinking twice, I still want to marry and grow old
with you all I ask is for you to trust me enough to take care of you and handle
situations like this.

We
can skip the tests, do a court wedding and be happy, it’s all your choice, I
want you now and forever Janet, just you. Janet stared at him, she just stared
long and hard and heaved a sigh, fell back asleep with a smile knowing
everything will be alright.